Honda Civic Lx

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY - TEST DRIVES ACROSS AMERICA

Overview: The Honda Civic represents basic transportation, Japanese style . . . This is a subcompact built on a 98.4-inch wheelbase 166.6 inches long overall . . . We test-drove the Honda Civic four-door sedan LX. It's an economy car with lots of luxury dressing.

Technical notes: Civic has a peppy 1.5-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine that will move you from the light without groaning . . . Civic's 1.5-liter 4 proves you shouldn't reach for a stopwatch to take 0-to-60 mph times just because it's a multivalve. What you get is 92 horses. Gets you off the line, but you'll find yourself downshifting to fourth or third to get back a head of steam.

Economy: The EPA rating is 31 miles per gallon city, 36 mpg highway with manual; 27 city and 32 highway with automatic.